The South western news. (Dawson, GA.) 188?-1889, 1887-05-25
Shall we Fence the Stock or the Crop
EbIToR News:

Az l. W.
There are two sides to everv
question, and men should be liber.
al al enough to allow every one the
liberty of his own opinion, and to
exercise that opinion in full, free
and fair discussion of any question
that may agitate the public mind.
The above named question is one
that bears upon all the farmers and
E farm laborers of the county alike.
Each one has an interest, and each
ana every one is entitled to an
opinion, and we should all be liners
al enough to accord to every indi~
vidual his right to think and act in
the premises as his conscience may
dictate. Yet, at the same time,
we should not be controlled bv
selfish motives, lut should be gov
erned by the broad and liberal pr'n.
cipal of acting for the good of the
county.
may love my dram and be op.
posed to prohibition, but it it is
best for the country or the commu
nifty in which I live to have prohi.
bltion, l say, let us have it by all
means, and I am disposed to act in
the same way by the Stock Law.
1t may be to my interest to fence
the crop and let the stock run at
large as they do now, but am
willing to-yield all personal or self.
ish motives, and grant my neigh>
bors and friends the privilege of
fencing the stock instead of the
crop, if it is to the interest OF the
country to have such law.
You will find 4 every commu-
nifty those who are opposed to any
measure that is new, OF anything
that diverts from the old system
that our fathers followed, and any
change OF old laws or customs thew
feel like the country will be ruined
and every thing go to destruction.
They are honest in their notions,
and | accord to them honest inten-
tons. There are those who favor
a change, and are 10 favor of the
Stock Law, because they honestly
feel that it would be for the gener.
al interest Of the land owners, and
those who are interested in farm.
ing
There axe Others WHO favor the
law be ause their timber is scarce.
and under our present system il
will be but few years when they
viii be out of rail timber and will
not be able to fence their crops.
Therefore, we should consider the
question seriously and adopt such
measures as will promote the inter.
est Of the farmers Of the county.
1t must be admitted by all.par-
ties, that the time is not far distant
when Terrell county will be COM
PEELED to adopt the plan of fencing
the stock for several reasons.
In the first place, Dougherty
county on one side, has such a
law already to take effect in June.
In portions of Randolph they have
adopted it, and a strong effort is be.
ing made to have such law all
over the county. The Cuthbert
district will soon vote upon the
question, and perhaps will vote in
favor of the stock law. Therefore
if the counties around, should adopt
the law, our county will be CONS
PEELED to in self defense.
In the second place, it will not
be very long before the timber will
become scarce and then we will be
compelled to adopt the law, then, |
contend it will be too late. We
should learn a lesson from the
counties of Niddle Georgia, who
hive the law already and. say now,
they put it off too long, they should
have had it 20 years sooner, but
they delayed until they had to re-
sort to it, or build wire, or stone
fences, which they were not able
to do.
Now shall we persist in this USE
less and wasteful practice of de-
stroying our timber, when we
could, by this law, save money and
labor, save our timber, and there
by be greatly benefited by the
change in our law. Let us learn a
lesson from our neighhors, and NOS
persist in the old ruts until it is
too late and We are injured by pro-
crastination.
From my stand point, it does
appear to me, that it is perfect fol-
l. to,, f,rr,ors IN kaap nm the DYps.